Sri Lanka to seek Chinese support at UN Human Rights Council

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Last Updated: Wed, Feb 20, 2013 11:30 hrs

-ANI): The Sri Lankan government on Wednesday said it will seek the support of several countries including China against a U.S. sponsored resolution against the island nation which is to be submitted before the UN Human Rights Council next month.

The Sri Lankan External Affairs Ministry said that the government will first want to see the resolution which is to be submitted before the Council, after that, the respective governments will be approached in order to discuss the kind of support that Sri Lanka will require.

"It is obvious that we will want all countries to support us including China who have maintained strong ties with us. However we will first await and see what the resolution states," External Affairs Ministry spokesman Rodney Perera told Xinhua.

In January, the U.S. announced that a second resolution on Sri Lanka would be presented at the UN Human Rights Council sessions that is expected to begin from February 25, saying the Sri Lankan government had failed to implement key reconciliation and human rights measures since the end of the war in 2009.

However, the Sri Lankan government has vehemently denied the claim, insisting that they had addressed many of the demining, resettlement and rehabilitation work that could be achieved in the past four years.

The draft resolution has noted with concern that the National Action Plan does not adequately address all of the findings and constructive recommendations of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) of Sri Lanka.

Titled 'Promoting Reconciliation and Accountability in Sri Lanka,' the first draft of the resolution to be submitted by the U. S. reaffirmed that it is the responsibility of the Sri Lankan government to ensure the full enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms of its entire population.

Countries such as the UK, Canada and the European Union have agreed to support the resolution. (Xinhua-ANI)